Community Formation as a Byproduct of a Recommendation System: A Simulation Model for Bubble Formation in Social Media

We investigate the problem of the formation of communities of users that selectively exchange messages among them in a simulated environment. This closed community can be seen as the prototype of the bubble effect, i.e., the isolation of individuals from other communities. We develop a computational model of a society, where each individual is represented as a simple neural network (a perceptron), under the influence of a recommendation system that honestly forward messages (posts) to other individuals that in the past appreciated previous messages from the sender, i.e., that showed a certain degree of affinity. This dynamical affinity database determines the interaction network. We start from a set of individuals with random preferences (factors), so that at the beginning, there is no community structure at all. We show that the simple effect of the recommendation system is not sufficient to induce the isolation of communities, even when the database of user–user affinity is based on a small sample of initial messages, subject to small-sampling fluctuations. On the contrary, when the simulated individuals evolve their internal factors accordingly with the received messages, communities can emerge. This emergence is stronger the slower the evolution of individuals, while immediate convergence favors to the breakdown of the system in smaller communities. In any case, the final communities are strongly dependent on the sequence of messages, since one can get different final communities starting from the same initial distribution of users’ factors, changing only the order of users emitting messages. In other words, the main outcome of our investigation is that the bubble formation depends on users’ evolution and is strongly dependent on early interactions.

Imbalanced sensitivities to primary and secondary rewards in internet gaming disorder

Background Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a type of behavioral addiction characterized by poorly controlled and interfering patterns of game playing. Studies have suggested that the IGD is usually accompanied by increased desire or craving for gaming, suggesting that secondary rewards related to gaming may become more salient than those for primary rewards like food. However, this hypothesis has not been formally tested and potential neural mechanisms remain unclear. Methods This is a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. Twenty-one IGD subjects and 23 matched individuals with recreational game use (RGU) were scanned when exposed to gaming (secondary rewards), food (primary rewards) and neutral cues. Group-by-cue-type interaction analyses and subsequent within-group analyses for fMRI data were performed and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analyses explored further potential neural features. Results IGD subjects’ subjective craving responses to gaming cues were higher than to food cues, while the opposite was observed in RGU subjects. Group-by-cue interaction effects implicated the precuneus and precuneus-caudate FC. Simple effect analysis showed that for IGD subjects, gaming-related cues elicited higher FC in precuneus-caudate relationships than did food-related cues. In the RGU subjects, the opposite was observed. Significant correlations were found between brain features and craving scores. Conclusions These results support the hypothesis regarding imbalances in sensitivities to different types of reward in IGD, and suggest neural mechanisms by which craving for gaming may make secondary rewards more salient than primary ones, thus promoting participation in addictive patterns of gaming.

The Role of Moral Reasoning on the Effects of Incentive Schemes and Working Relationships on Whistleblowing: An Audit Experimental Study

This study examines the role of moral reasoning in strengthening the working relationship and incentive schemes on the likelihood of reporting accounting fraud. This study predicts that higher moral reasoning or being exposed to incentive schemes are more likely to cause someone to be a whistleblower. However, individuals with a close working relationship with wrongdoers will exhibit a lower propensity to blow the whistle than those with no close working relationship. Finally, moral reasoning is expected to interact with working relationships and incentive schemes to affect the propensity to blow the whistle. Based on a lab-experiment with 147 participants, this study documents that the simple effect of moral reasoning, the working relationship, or an incentive scheme is (marginally) significant. Similarly, the combination of moral reasoning and the working relationship significantly improves the tendency to blow the whistle. However, the combined effects of moral reasoning vs. the working relationship and moral reasoning vs. the working relationship vs. incentive scheme are not significant. This paper confirms previous studies which found that moral reasoning significantly alters the whistleblowing intention but that the impact of moral reasoning is not robust for incentive schemes and working relationships. Some limitations should be considered, namely the textual scenarios of the experimental design, working experiences, and the omission of personal orientation and the personal cost of reporting.

The Third Dimension. On the Dichotomy Between Speech and Writing

This paper introduces a more complex and refined articulated view than the classic and simple dichotomy of linguistic production. According to the traditional doxa, what is linguistically articulated is either spoken or written. Forms of written language have previously been considered a secondary representation of spoken forms and, at least in the alphabetic system, the only properly linguistic form. I argue that there exists a third dimension of language, which is internal. This internal form is lexically, phonetically and grammatically articulated, without being spoken in a proper sense, but which can be seen as the pre-condition for both spoken and written production. In other words, linguistic production does not necessarily imply the presence of two interacting speakers (or writers/readers). Production can be seen as the simple effect of an internal activity, and can be described without reduction to spoken or written forms. A consideration of this third dimension in a systematic way could enrich and strengthen approaches to many types of texts and help to productively integrate the traditional schemes adopted in Sociolinguistics, Historical Linguistics, Philology, Literary Criticism, and Pragmatics.

PSIV-1 Effect of Corn Silage Inclusion Rate on Apparent Total Tract Digestibility of Dry Matter, Organic Matter, and Crude Protein in Finishing Steers

Maine-Anjou × Angus beef steers (n = 156; initial BW 366 ± 37.2 kg) were used in a finishing experiment at the Ruminant Nutrition Center in Brookings, SD. Steers were weighed on 2 consecutive days and assigned into 5 weight blocks. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial, 2 types of implants and 2 dietary treatments with 5 replicate pens for each simple effect. Dietary treatments consisted (DM basis) of 1) 15% (CS15) or 2) 30% corn silage (CS30). Other ingredients consisted of a 50:50 blend of DRC and HMC, liquid supplement and a dry supplement. Bunks were managed using a slick bunk approach and all diets contained (DM basis) 33 mg/kg monensin sodium. Feed collections occurred during the morning and afternoon feedings for two days prior to fecal collections. Each feed sample was composited in equal amounts to create a single sample for each pen. Two fecal collections from each steer occurred 7 hours apart on day 112 of the study. Feces from each steer were composited in equal amounts to create a pen sample. All samples were dried and ground through a 1-mm screen. Acid insoluble ash was used as an internal marker. Apparent total tract digestibility was calculated using the equation: 100-100 ˣ (feed marker/fecal marker) × (fecal variable/feed variable). No interaction between implant and diet was detected for any variables (P ≥ 0.08). One pen was removed from the statistical analysis due to all values being 3 standard deviations away from the mean. Intake did not differ between CS15 and CS30 (P = 0.41). Fecal output was increased 36.9% (P = 0.01) in CS30. Dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein digestion were decreased by feeding CS30 (11.47%, 10.83%, 16.35% respectively; P ≤ 0.03). As corn silage inclusion increases, digestibility coefficients for DM, OM, and CP are decreased.

233 Effects of Harvest Maturity And/or Kernel Processing on Corn Silage Processing Score and Particle Size of Corn Silage

A single corn hybrid was used to evaluate harvest maturity (Mat) and/or kernel processing (KP) effects on corn silage processing score (CSPS) and particle size (PS). Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial of 1) Mat (early and late) and 2) KP (no or yes). A single corn field was planted on April 27, 2020. There were 12 loads (experimental unit) per simple effect treatment mean. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design. Early harvest occurred on August 28, 2020 [yield (as is) = 39.1 Mg/hectare; DM = 43.1%; CP, NDF, and starch = 6.5, 46.0, and 32.9%, respectively (DM basis)]. Late harvest occurred on September 9, 2020 [yield = 37.8 Mg/hectare (as is); DM = 49.2%; CP, NDF, and starch = 6.6, 49.8, and 37.5%, respectively (DM basis)]. The same equipment was used for both Mat with KP achieved by narrowing processing rollers. The CSPS was determined as the proportion of starch retained below a 4.75-mm sieve. Grain content (DM basis) of the corn silage was calculated from starch/0.72. Particle size was assessed using the Penn State Particle Separator. A Mat × KP interaction (P = 0.05) was detected for CSPS. Early/no and late/no had decreased (P ≤ 0.05) CSPS compared to early/yes and late/yes had the greatest CSPS (P ≤ 0.05) compared to others. Grain content was 13.9% greater in late compared to early (P = 0.01). A Mat × KP interaction (P = 0.03) was detected for PS. Early/no had the greatest (P ≤ 0.05) PS, early/yes and late/no were intermediate, and late/yes had decreased PS compared to others (P ≤ 0.05). These data indicate that Mat and KP influence CSPS synergistically. Producers should consider KP when corn silage is harvested at a later maturity to enhance CSPS.

Análise Exergoeconômica de um sistema de trigeração de energia operando com um Ciclo Rankine Orgânico

<span class="fontstyle0">This work presents the results of the energetic, exergetic and exergoeconomic evaluation of a trigeneration system which is composed of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), a simple effect Absorption Refrigeration System (SRA) and a boiler. The proposed system is driven by the residual heat of an industrial process. A computational code was developed on the EES (Engineering Equation Solver) platform to solve the thermodynamic and exergoeconomic equation of each equipment. The SPECO method (Specific Exergy Costing) was used for the exergoeconomic evaluation. Results indicated which equipment needs optimization in order of priority. The results show that the greatest destruction of exergy occurs in the ORC steam generator (56% of the total), followed by the condenser that presented an exergy destruction of 33%. Conversely, the pump and expander performed better, with low exergy destruction values. The results of the exergoeconomic evaluation also indicate that the steam generator and condenser from ORC need to be optimized before any other equipment, as they obtained the lowest values of the exergoeconomic factor (f</span><span class="fontstyle0">k</span><span class="fontstyle0">) and the highest values of the specific relative cost (r</span><span class="fontstyle0">k</span><span class="fontstyle0">).</span> <br /><br />

The Present of Persuasion : Escalating Research into Persuasive Game Effects

The process of validating persuasive games involves demonstrating that such games are changing or reinforcing specific sets of attitudes in their players. The first wave of validation efforts consisted of simple effect studies in which a full game was compared to other persuasive media or straightforward control conditions. While this led to the conclusion that some persuasive games did indeed ‘work’, it did not afford generalizations on the viability of gaming as a persuasive medium. We describe these first efforts before showing how subsequent studies are evolving from determining the effects of individual games to testing player-oriented experiential models accounting for multiple persuasive mechanisms. Our conclusions draw on psychological and media-psychological theories of persuasion to offer a roadmap to validating persuasive games.

The Effect of GA3 and Salicylic Acid Combination on the Growth of Groundnut Sprout (Arachis Hypogaea L.) on Aluminum Stress

This study aimed to determine the influence of GA3 and salicylic acid on the germination and growth of Kelinci variety groundnut under aluminum stress. The research was conducted in the Botanical Laboratory of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Lampung. This research was conducted in a 2x3 factorial experimental design. Factor A was AL (OH) 3 with two levels of concentration: 0% b/v and 5% b/v. Factor B was Growth Stimulant Substance (ZPT) with three levels of concentration: GA3 (0.1% w/v), salicylic acid (0.1% w/v), and GA3 and salicylic acid. The Tukey test determined the Main Effect, and the Simple Effect was determined with F-test at a significant level of 5%. It can be concluded that the mixture of GA3 solution and US solution was more effective than a single solution of GA3 or US.

Cognitive Control Deficits in Alcohol Dependence Are a Trait- and State-Dependent Biomarker: An ERP Study

Alcohol dependence (AD) presents cognitive control deficits. Event-related potential (ERP) P300 reflects cognitive control-related processing. The aim of this study was to investigate whether cognitive control deficits are a trait biomarker or a state biomarker in AD. Participants included 30 AD patients and 30 healthy controls (HCs). All participants were measured with P300 evoked by a three-stimulus auditory oddball paradigm at a normal state (time 1, i.e., just after the last alcohol intake) and abstinence (time 2, i.e., just after a 4-week abstinence). The results showed that for P3a and P3b amplitude, the interaction effect for group × time point was significant, the simple effect for group at time 1 level and time 2 level was significant, and the simple effect for time point at AD group level was significant; however, the simple effect for time point at HC group level was not significant. Above results indicated that compared to HCs, AD patients present reductions of P3a/3b amplitude, and after 4-week alcohol abstinence, although P3a/3b amplitudes were improved, they were still lower than those of HCs. For P3a and P3b latencies, no significant differences were observed. These findings conclude that AD patients present cognitive control deficits that are reflected by P3a/3b and that cognitive control deficits in AD are trait- and state-dependent. The implication of these findings is helpful to understand the psychological and neural processes for AD, and these findings suggest that improving the cognitive control function may impact the treatment effect for AD.